Jon Favreau (Elf, Iron Man, The Lion King) directs this screenplay co-written with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor about former lone bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), also known as The Mandalorian, and his Yoda-like apprentice, Grogu, who are working for the New Republic under orders from Col. Ward (Sigourney Weaver) to hunt down Galactic Empire Imperial warlords. After a semi-successful mission, they return to base and are tasked with rescuing Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White) and returning him to his crime lord aunt and uncle in exchange for information about the New Republic’s real target, notorious imperial warlord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne). (132 min.)
Glen This is the first new Star Wars film released in theaters since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, and it’s essentially a continuation of the Favreau-created TV series The Mandalorian (2019 to 2023). There’s lots of action, chases, battles, and CGI, some of it effective and some a little clunky. I personally like the charm of the practical effects like the puppetry of Grogu and the Anzellans‚ the tiny mechanics that fix spacecraft. In fact, this film is filled with adorable little creatures in addition to horrifying monsters, including in two set pieces, one in a battle arena and another in a water-filled underground lair with a very nasty albino dragon with a poisonous bite. Your teens will love it, but will you? As Star Wars stories go, it’s OK but hardly one of the great installments. I loved the scene with Martin Scorsese voicing Hugo Durant, a four-armed street food vendor Din pressures for info. I also liked the CGI pilot Zeb Orrelios (voiced by Steve Blum). For Star Wars fans, nothing I say will dissuade you from going. For others, the arresting visuals make it a spectacle worthy of the big screen, but don’t expect the franchise’s early glory.
STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU
What’s it rated? PG-13
What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee
What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee
Where’s it showing? Bay, Colony, Downtown Centre, Fair Oak, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In
Anna I’m certainly under no delusions that anything we say would talk a die-hard Star Wars fan out of seeing it—and they definitely should! Get in that dark theater, sit back, and enjoy every battle, creature, close call. For me, an appreciator of the franchise but not a self-proclaimed fan, it was entertaining but a bit long. I’m fairly certain I finished The Mandalorian series and enjoyed the novelty of Baby Yoda (who turned out to be named Grogu) and Pedro Pascal’s reveal. I don’t know that it needed a movie, but who wouldn’t chase that cash grab? I too was most entertained by the puppetry—even more by the Anzellans. I’d watch those little cuties bop around muttering all day. It’s battle after battle, and The Mandalorian gets compromised more than I remember in the series, but what are the chances we’ll lose our hero now? You likely already know whether you’re going to see this one in the theaters, so trust your Jedi instincts.
Glen The good news is there are no groaner characters like Jar Jar Binks, wooden performances like Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, or miscasts like Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala. In case you noticed, I thought the prequel trilogy was dreadful. This one’s fun but forgettable.
Anna True, definitely not a bomb, and there’s plenty of fun. Quick quips, funny and adorable characters, lots of action, great scenery—it all works. Did it need to last for 132 minutes? Not in my opinion, but I’m sure others will be just fine. ∆
Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Summer Guide 2026.